Various arrangements for providing portable working surfaces are known and commonly used. Many of these arrangements are configured for use by persons while sitting, and may be referred to as lap-oriented working surfaces such as lap-top desks. Such arrangements include lap trays, boards, tables, and similar objects.
Lap desks provide convenient and portable surfaces, and are particularly useful in situations in which a working surface is desired but a typical desk is not convenient or available. For example, lap desks are desirable for use in cars, trains, or during airplane travel. They are also convenient and desirable for use by those who are confined to a bed or wheelchair, or for persons who prefer working on a portable surface.
One particularly useful application for lap desks, is to facilitate entertainment of children in a variety of situations, especially while traveling. Reasons for this include that the lap desk provides a flat surface for the user upon which to read, write, or draw during what may otherwise be a long and/or tedious period of time.
Conventional lap desks generally consist of a structure including a top comprising a flat, hard, rigid, and dense working surface, typically made of wood, metal, hard plastic, or the like. This surface is usually attached to a pedestal portion, or supporting structure, for positioning in the user's lap, typically on the user's legs. A variety of supporting structures have been used, including ones constructed of wire or hard materials similar to the materials used in the construction of the working surface. Some conventional arrangements have utilized soft cushions, and the like, as the pedestal portion in an effort to facilitate comfort of the user.
In addition to hard surfaces, some of these desks have hard and/or sharp edges and corners and possible pinch points. Because of these hard and/or sharp surfaces, edges, and corners, conventional lap desks are not completely satisfactory, at least for use in certain situations. Lap desks are popular for use by children, particularly in automobiles, and also by physically challenged people, particularly those confined to wheelchairs. Generally, however, these desks are heavy and bulky, which can make them difficult to adapt to restrictive spaces, such as a wheelchair, while in use, or while in storage.
Furthermore, at least because lap desks are often used while in a moving vehicle, a hard desk can be transformed into a particularly hazardous projectile in the event of a collision or sudden stop. Even if the desk were secured to prevent this, the hard surface poses a significant hazard, for example, if a portion of the user's body were violently thrown against the desk. The desk could also be a dangerous object in the event of a sudden stop or collision if it were secured in place, as for example, to the body of the user.
Therefore, what has been needed is a portable working surface, i.e., a lap desk, with a surface that is capable of supporting writing, drawing, coloring, or other similar activities, but is sufficiently soft so as to be appropriately compressible under circumstances that could be envisioned to otherwise be more hazardous if the surface were made of a hard and rigid material. That is, what is needed is a portable desk with a top portion that is firm yet soft, such that it is compressible, for example, upon impact. Preferably, it is compressible in a lateral direction. By this, it is not meant that a desk must be fully compressible, or necessarily fully collapsible, such as for storage. Rather, the desk should be sufficiently compressible so that when subjected to situations that could be envisioned to cause bodily injury or property damage, the desk's construction would typically lessen the likelihood and/or severity of the injury or damage.
Also, what has been needed is a lap desk that is flexible and lightweight and contains a functional surface. Flexibility would allow for the desk to conform to restrictive and confining spaces. A portable working surface with these characteristics would be advantageous for use by persons in a confined situation with limited space, as for example, a physically challenged person confined to a wheelchair. In this situation a desk is needed that easily conforms to various constructions of wheelchairs, while allowing normal use. Furthermore, a lightweight desk would be more comfortable while in use, it would allow for more widespread use by small children, elderly persons, those not fully capable of lifting relatively heavy or bulky objects, and those not able to readily tolerate a heavy desk on their laps. Also, a lightweight desk produces lesser forces in the event of it becoming a projectile. Lightweight and compressible desks are desirable where ease of transport and storage are valued. Desks that lack sharp edges and pinch points are also desirable.